Disc Golfing Date Tips That Will Keep You Confident
Disc golfing is a great way to get exercise, enjoy the outdoors, and have fun with your date or your family! It’s also doesn’t cost much. A disc golf course is free to play, but you will need to bring the discs themselves. If you don’t have any discs, they average less than $15.00.
What Makes Disc Golf A Great Date?
Unlike a movie date, you have time to talk. The outdoors is conducive to friendly topics. You can make the date last a while or end it early in a non-threatening environment with others around to keep you safe.
Don't call Them Frisbees
Disc golf discs are smaller than what is commonly called a Frisbee. It’s a good idea to have two discs per player. They are uniquely designed for long and short throws. You’ll use one disc to drive with, and one for putting. If you can only get one disc for your date, a driver can be used for putting. But let’s back up a little and explain how the game is played.
How To Play Disc Golf
The game of disc golf is like ball golf, but instead of hitting a tiny little ball with clubs, you throw the discs. Like ball golf, there are tees and fairways to drive on, obstacles to avoid (small ones), and targets (larger ones). There is even the same system of par. The object of disc golf is to get the discs in the targets.
There are often more than one tee and target on each hole, so you can play through (letting slower players play through) or wait on your party if someone needs to take multiple shots. Playing through is easier when playing with a group of 2-4 people. If there are 5 or more, they may insist on waiting.
The average game takes about an hour to play for two people. Don’t let time dictate if you play because you can always finish early at any hole!
Disc Golf Etiquette Tips
Before we discuss tips on throwing techniques, let’s cover something very important to understand about disc golf. There are some unspoken rules. Knowing them before you go will keep you in good standing on the course.
Always wait for players ahead of you to play through (if possible). When you are on a disc golf date, your party of two may move fast. If you’ve politely asked to play through a slower group and they decline, you may optionally skip the hole they are on and go ahead.
As large and colorful as a disc appears, players lose them. The etiquette is never to keep a disc you find. Instead, place it on top of the basket or tee sign. You’ll find 99 percent of discs have owner info on the back. If you take it home, do so only if you intend to text the owner to return it. Keep your texts on the topic unless the owner expands the discussion first.
If you take it onto the course, take it off the course. This means if you bring food or drink with you, don’t litter. If you create trash, carry it out with you.
Bringing your own disc golf bag is a great idea. You can carry large quantities of discs, water, snacks, drinks, etc.
Throwing A Disc
If you’ve never thrown a disc before, it is recommended that you start with a basic backhand throw. This means the back of your hand leads the throw as you grip the disc.
A power grip is used to have the most control for an accurate and powerful throw. First, hold your disc caught between your thumb and index finger.
The body motion and throw starts with your body facing away from the target. Yes. You read that right! You’re pointing the disc away as well. Now, as your head watches the disc, you step forward and rip your arm mid-way across your body. Your eyes should be following the disc as it is pulled across your body towards the target. Keep it level as you step forward towards the target and release with snap straight out powerfully rotating your shoulder pointing at the target.
Putting a disc is different than driving a disc. Here you square your body up facing the basket. Now you push the disc out straight towards the basket and release. Aim high on the basket to avoid your disc making to the basket but hitting the lower rim and falling short.
Bonus Tip
You can download a free app (Udisc) to your smartphone to keep score. It has all the known courses too. That’s handy because it helps you see where you are visually on the course and where baskets are even if you don’t see them from the tee. You just add in the shots for you and your partner and it totals the score.
If you don’t have the app, players keep score by noting at each hole if they are plus or minus without requiring you to remember the total strokes across the entire course.
For example, if on hole one you take five strokes on a par 3, you are plus two (+2). Assuming all the holes are par 3, and the next hole you take four shots and it is a par three, your new overall total is plus three (+3). Let’s make it interesting and on the third hole, you make it into the basket in only two strokes. Your overall shot count is now back to plus two (+2). Each player is on their honor to keep their total.
Many players use this system but using the UDisc app makes everything much easier. It’s free and you can delete it after you are done. Or you can humble brag and post your game scores automatically to your Instagram or Facebook.